Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways and CHEP Aerospace Solutions based in Switzerland have signed a five-year renewable agreement for the supply and management of unit load devices (ULDs) and pallet accessories.

CHEP, a leading independent provider of outsourced ULD and galley cart services, will acquire Cathay Pacific's fleet of 25,000 ULDs, convert the majority of their containers to modern composite units weighing 58 kg, and supply a fleet of lightweight containers.

This fast transition to a lightweight container fleet will enhance operation efficiency over the first five years of their partnership, contributing to the sustainable development commitments of both companies. CHEP will supply the airline with a dedicated, branded fleet of lightweight containers, and fulfil global cargo pallet requirements through its pooling system, providing significant synergy benefits through the cross-utilisation of pallet assets with existing CHEP customers including AirBridgeCargo, Air Canada and Cargolux.

Cathay Pacific director cargo James Woodrow said: "Our teams have gone through a thorough review of the different possible ways to optimise the management of our ULD fleet. CHEP has demonstrated its capability to meet our operational requirements. They have offered a tailor-made solution enabling us to achieve substantial benefits. We also expect efficiency gains in our operations, as well as quickly modernising our fleet of ULDs. We are confident that our long-term partnership with CHEP will be a success and our teams look forward to working together." – TradeArabia News Service